Commercial Fitout Electrical Cost Melbourne 2026 – What Drives the Number

Commercial Fitout Electrical Cost Melbourne 2026 – What Drives the Number

TL;DR

Commercial fitout electrical costs in Melbourne range wildly depending on switchboard capacity, load complexity, compliance burden, and programme urgency. There’s no single number – but there are seven specific drivers that will explain 85% of the quote variation you’ll see. Understanding these before you ring electricians means you’ll spot the cowboys and budget realistically.

Why electrical cost varies more than any other trade

Of all the trades in a commercial fitout, electrical is where the surprises live. A painter quotes by square metre and delivers to spec. Electrical? The same fitout space can cost $80/m² or $280/m² depending on what’s already in the building and what you’re actually trying to power.

This variance exists because electrical work sits at the intersection of three unknowns: what the existing infrastructure can support, what the code now demands, and what the client actually wants to switch on at once. Structural work is structural. Mechanical is mechanical. But electrical is a moving target that doesn’t reveal itself until you’ve done the load schedule, walked the ceiling void, and checked the main switchboard nameplate.

That’s why the first conversation with any Melbourne fitout client isn’t “how much?” It’s “what are we really building here, and what’s already in the walls?”

The 7 cost drivers we walk every client through

1. Existing switchboard capacity and main switchboard upgrades

The main switchboard is the starting line. If the building’s main board is already running at 85% capacity and you want to pull 50 kVA for a modern office, you’re upgrading the main. That’s not $500 of work – that’s site-specific, often involving the building owner, the DNSPs electrical surveyor, board replacement, cable upsizing, and possible temporary disconnection. Budget $15,000 – $45,000 depending on building age and DNSPs queue. If the board has capacity, you’re installing a sub-main distribution board in your fitout zone and running a heavier feeder. Still significant, but different category.

2. Load schedule complexity (lighting, power, data, mechanical)

A 200 m² Cat A office shell with ambient lighting, task lights, power outlets, and two data points is straightforward. A 200 m² hospitality kitchen with commercial ranges, cold rooms, extraction ductwork, and time-clock controls is a completely different electrical load profile. The load schedule drives cable sizing (AS/NZS 3008.1.1), circuit protection, and downstream protection (RCBOs). If the kitchen load is higher than the feeder can support, you’re either stepping up the feeder or stepping back the specification. Either way, cost moves.

3. Cable runs and ceiling void access

New fitout in a modern building with 2.7 m void clearance and cable trays already in place? Run cable in 30 minutes per 50 metres. Fitout in a 1960s masonry building with zero void and services already packed? Every run is a negotiation with the existing M&E, and you’re often running conduit through occupied floors or cutting chases. Some buildings charge for ceiling access. Others won’t let you work in the void at all. These constraints turn a routine cable run into a site-specific engineering problem that costs.

4. Compliance burden (AS/NZS 3000, RCD/RCBO retrofit, emergency lighting)

Modern fitouts in Australia must comply with AS/NZS 3000 and the Building Code of Australia. New work = RCD/RCBO protection on most circuits (not just the old one RCD for bathrooms). Emergency lighting to AS/NZS 2293 is mandatory in most commercial spaces. Aged buildings often have zero emergency lighting and non-compliant earthing. Retrofitting RCD protection and emergency systems isn’t just plugging new gear into old circuits – it’s testing, certification (AS/NZS 3017), and often discovering the existing switchboard isn’t earthed to code. Code compliance adds time, testing, and sometimes rework. It’s non-negotiable, and it’s a cost driver.

5. After-hours and out-of-hours works

If the building is occupied and you can’t cut the main power during business hours, you’re working nights, weekends, or staged blackouts. After-hours labour rates in Melbourne are 1.5× to 2× day rates, plus site induction (White Card and fire safety), plus supervisor costs. A fitout that could run $40,000 day-shift becomes $55,000 – $65,000 if it’s all scheduled around occupied tenancy. Some buildings mandate zero disruption to existing tenants. Plan for 20 – 30% cost premium for after-hours work.

6. Equipment specification level (LED tiers, dimming systems, smart controls)

Lighting cost varies by an order of magnitude depending on specification. Basic dimmable LED downlights with emergency battery backup run $180 – $250 per fitting installed. High-efficiency LED with daylight harvesting, occupancy sensing, and Building Management System integration runs $320 – $450 per fitting installed. Over 100 fittings in an office, that’s a $14,000 – $20,000 swing. Same for power – basic 10A outlets or Smart outlets with energy monitoring and USB-C? The fitout electrical cost reflects the kit quality and control layer.

7. Programme pressure and fixed handover date

If the fitout has a hard handover date and there’s no flexibility, you’re contracting for reliability and urgency. That means standby labour (higher rates), pre-programmed dispatch, defect-free handover guarantee, and working around other trades’ schedule creep. A relaxed 16-week fitout is lower-cost than an 8-week race. If the fitout is compressed, electrical is often on the critical path. Budget accordingly – urgency has a price.

Cat A vs Cat B vs full fitout – how scope changes the bill

Cat A (Base Building Shell) involves landlord-provided electrical infrastructure (main switchboard, distribution boards, emergency lighting stubs, cable routes). Your fitout electrical adds power and lighting outlets, low-voltage systems (data, phone, AV), and any specialist equipment. Lower cost per m².

Cat B (Landlord + Tenant Share) splits responsibilities – landlord may provide power to the demised boundary, but you’re responsible for all distribution, lighting, emergency lighting, and controls within your lease. Medium-cost scope, medium cost.

Full fitout means you’re responsible for everything from the main switchboard through to the light switch. Highest cost, because you’re engineering the entire electrical service. Building age, existing infrastructure, and compliance gaps all hit the project.

We’ve published a detailed Cat A vs Cat B breakdown if your lease is ambiguous about who pays for what.

Indicative cost bands for Melbourne 2026

These are industry benchmark ranges for mid-market commercial fitouts in Melbourne. These are NOT Carlin Co quotes – they’re illustrative to help you benchmark supplier proposals.

Office Cat A fitout (typically 500 – 3,000 m²):
– Budget tight: $120 – $180/m² (basic lighting, standard outlets, minimal controls)
– Mid-range: $200 – $280/m² (dimmable LED, task/ambient, energy management, RCD/RCBO compliant)
– Premium: $300 – $420/m² (occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting, Building Management System integration, high-spec fittings)

Hospitality fitout (kitchen + front-of-house):
– Budget: $280 – $380/m² (standard commercial equipment provision, basic extraction ductwork controls, single-phase backup)
– Mid-range: $400 – $550/m² (time-clocked load management, 3-phase balanced, emergency lighting throughout, compliance testing)
– Premium: $600 – $800/m² (variable frequency drives on extraction, energy monitoring, soft-starts on heavy load, full Building Management System integration)

Retail fitout:
– Budget: $150 – $220/m² (standard lighting, power outlets on regular grid, no controls)
– Mid-range: $260 – $360/m² (dimmable shop lighting, task/feature lighting, energy management, security circuits)
– Premium: $380 – $520/m² (occupancy-linked lighting, networked controls, fault detection, integrated with security and HVAC)

Caveats: These assume compliant existing switchboard with available capacity, standard cable runs, 2.5 – 3 m false ceilings, day-shift works, and no emergency lighting retrofits. Aged buildings, capacity constraints, after-hours works, and major compliance upgrades will sit above these bands.

What a fixed quote should include – the checklist

If an electrician quotes you a lump sum, it should sit on these foundations:

1. Switchboard capacity verification – evidence they’ve checked the main board nameplate, existing load, and available capacity (or identified upgrade need)
2. Full load schedule – itemised lighting, power, mechanical, data, and control loads with calculated demand (kVA)
3. Cable sizing and conduit routing – specific cable routes, sizes (AS/NZS 3008.1.1 compliant), and conduit pathways verified on site
4. Compliance scope – explicit statement of RCD/RCBO circuits, emergency lighting (AS/NZS 2293), earthing test requirement, and any retrofits
5. Testing and certification – AS/NZS 3017 testing scope, continuity, insulation resistance, loop impedance, and Certificate of Compliance (CoC) included
6. Commissioning – load switching, fault log inspection, any Building Management System commissioning
7. Defect liability period – typically 12 months, with named contact (direct line to the foreman) for site faults
8. Exclusions – explicitly what’s NOT included (e.g., landlord’s main switchboard upgrade, supplier equipment changes, asbestos removal)
9. Staged milestone costs – if phased, the cost for each phase and what triggers the next stage
10. Warranty on workmanship – fixed period and conditions (materials, labour, or both)

If the quote is silent on any of these, ask before you sign. Silence often means “we’ll invoice when we find out” – which is a cost blowout waiting to happen.

Red flags in cheap quotes – the five things that should worry you

1. No site visit before quoting. If the electrician quotes off floor plans and emails, they haven’t checked the switchboard, cable routes, or ceiling void. That quote is a guess, not a number. Site reality will blow it open.

2. Vague “allowance” for electrical upgrades. A quote that says “$15,000 electrical + $5,000 allowance for unforeseen works” is a permission slip to invoice you later. Ask what the allowance covers and why it’s needed.

3. No testing line item. AS/NZS 3017 testing is mandatory. If it’s not listed separately, it’s either assumed free (unlikely) or already built into the price and at risk of being cut if the job runs over.

4. Sub-subcontracting chain. The main contractor quotes a sparky, who quotes a sub, who hires day labour. By the time the work starts, you have no direct contact with the qualified person on the job. Quality and defect response suffer.

5. No named foreman. If you can’t ring a specific person on the tools during the works, you’re dealing with a call centre or a labour hire rack. Direct line to the foreman = accountability.

How we quote at Carlin Co

We walk a site with the client, the builder, and the facilities manager (or tenant). We pull the main switchboard data, measure cable routes, check the ceiling void, and talk through what “done right” looks like for the load they’re specifying. We then quote fixed scope – switchboard capacity assumption, load schedule, cable routes, all testing, all compliance, defect-free handover. No allowances. No surprises.

We’re REC 33210 registered. Our White Card team works to AS/NZS 3000, and we commission to AS/NZS 3017. We include a 12-month defect liability period with a direct line to the job foreman – not a call centre. No subbie chains. No cost blowouts because of vague scope. Just a fixed number and a named person accountable for the outcome.

FAQ

How long does a commercial fitout electrical take?

For a 500 m² Cat A office, 8 – 12 weeks from switchboard handover through to final testing and CoC. Larger projects scale, but the critical path is usually switchboard capacity confirmation (2 – 4 weeks), then cable distribution and termination (6 – 8 weeks), then testing and final commissioning (1 – 2 weeks). After-hours works add time and cost.

Can we phase the electrical works to spread the cost?

Yes, but with caveats. If the building’s main switchboard can supply a staged sub-distribution, you can bring the fit-out online zone by zone. Each phase needs its own scope, testing, and CoC. Phasing reduces upfront cost but locks in labour for multiple mobilisations. Ask the electrician for a phase cost comparison versus full execution.

Do we have to upgrade the main switchboard?

Only if it hasn’t got capacity and the landlord hasn’t already done it. This is the first question – check the nameplate and existing load before assuming you need an upgrade. If you do, it’s a multi-stakeholder decision (you, landlord, DNSPs), and it will add 4 – 8 weeks and $15,000+.

What if the equipment supplier changes specs mid-project?

That’s a scope change. If your lighting or mechanical specification changes, the load schedule changes, which may require cable upsizing or protection recalculation. This costs time and money. Lock down equipment specs before the electrical contract is signed. Any changes after signature are quoted separately.

Who do I contact during the works?

You should have a direct contact – the foreman, the site supervisor, or a named project manager. If someone tells you “you’ll need to ring the office,” you’re not getting the service model you need. Direct accountability matters in a fitout.

Get a real number for your fitout

Understanding the cost drivers is step one. Step two is getting a fixed quote based on a real site visit, a full load schedule, and explicit compliance scope. If you’re planning a commercial fitout in Melbourne and you want to know what electrical will actually cost – not a guess, not an allowance, but a fixed number backed by site data – send us your scope: building address, area (m²), fitout type (office, hospitality, retail, or other), existing switchboard nameplate data if you have it, and any programme constraints. We’ll walk the site, verify capacity, scope the works to AS/NZS 3000, and give you a number you can bank on.

Need a quote for your commercial fitout? Learn about our commercial electrical services or get in touch to discuss your project.

Commercial Electrical Services

For your commercial fit-out, we provide three-phase power installation for high-demand equipment, structured data and network cabling for office connectivity, commercial downlight installation, and power point installation for workstation layouts.